Norwood Pharmacies and Police Launch Fast-Acting Telephone Chain to Combat Phony Prescriptions-August 20, 1985

The collaborative security network was sparked several months prior when Joseph Fox, a pharmacist at Nahatan Drugs, contacted Police Chief George DiBlasi out of concern over illicit attempts to acquire narcotics. Officer Peter Curran of the department’s crime prevention unit explained the strategy: “What we’re trying to do is keep these people out of Norwood.” According to police, offenders frequently travel from out of town attempting to buy controlled substances using prescription pads stolen from doctors’ offices.

While local pharmacists had previously maintained an informal communication network, it lacked the speed and coordination required to intercept suspects. Under the new system, minutes after a druggist spots a fake prescription—typified by establishments encountering roughly one fraudulent attempt per month, or up to 15 incidents over several months at busier locations—every pharmacy in town receives a call, alerting authorities simultaneously.

Todd Brown, a pharmacist at Nahatan Drugs, praised the initiative: “This should make it a little tougher for someone who wants to write one… This will show people they shouldn’t come in here or the police might show up.” Another local pharmacist, requesting anonymity, emphasized the psychological and practical backing of the network: “We know we have solid police backup—that’s an advantage.”

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger